Wine regions can be categorized into old world and new world. Old world wine regions date back to the Roman Empire era and include France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. These European regions had years to witness the impact of terroir (local soil) on wine production and refine their vinification methodology.
They emphasize terroir and traditions in vinification. The new world wine regions include Australia, America, Latin America, South Africa, and New Zealand. Without years of terroir knowledge, these regions rely on technology to obtain good yield and quality wines. For example, many Australian and Californian vineyards rely heavily on oak aging and natural compounds to enhance structure and flavor.
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New World Winemaking Countries and Characteristics
New world wines are those wines produced outside the traditional winemaking areas of Europe, in particular from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
1. Argentina’s Wine Production
Argentina is the world’s fifth biggest wine producer. It has a long tradition of winemaking under the Spanish, going back to 1557, but more recent immigrants, notably Italians and Germans, have influenced the industry.
The long history of viticulture in Argentina has brought forth the evolution of many local varieties, but perhaps the most typically Argentine grape is the Torrontés, which makes an aromatic white wine. However, Argentines love red wine to go with their famous steaks.
Malbec has proven to be the most successful variety in export markets, with Barbera and “Bonarda” (now known to be Corbeau, a minor variety from Savoie) being blended into more affordable wines.
2. Australia’s Wine Industry
Vine cuttings were brought from South Africa to Australia, and this marked the beginning of wine production and wine exports. By the 1880s, Australian wines were winning prizes in Europe. With time, there was a revival of interest in table wines, which culminated in Australia selling more wine to the United Kingdom than did France in 2000.
Australian wines were at some time criticized for being over-oaked and over-ripe, but today, Australian winemaking is one of the most sophisticated in the world. Several regional specialties have emerged, which are perhaps the finest fortified wines of the new world.
3. Canada’s Wine Production
Canada followed a similar path to the eastern United States early attempts to grow Vitis vinifera failed, leading to a significant export industry based on Vitis labrusca and Vitis riparia, fortified to disguise the ‘foxy’ aromas. The country had its own version of prohibition until 1927, and after it ended, red tape inhibited the industry until 1974.
In the following years, improved viticulture and grape varieties allowed a substantial expansion of the industry in the 1990s, centered around the parts of Southern Ontario warmed by the Great Lakes, and in the Okanagan Valley of southern British Columbia.
While there has been some progress with red wines from the Bordeaux varieties and Pinot Noir, Canada’s most successful wines are ice wines made from grapes such as Riesling, Vidal, and even Cabernet Franc.
4. Chile’s Viticulture and Wine Industry
Many of Chile’s vineyards are found on flat land within the foothills of the Andes. As in Argentina, Chilean viticulture dates back to the Conquistadores. It is the 10th biggest producer of wine in the world. Under the Pinochet reforms of the 1980s, investments were made in wineries and vineyards, and exports began in earnest in the mid-1990s. Chile is notable for being one of the few vine-growing regions to be free of phylloxera.
5. Mexico’s Historical Wine Production
Mexico is the oldest winemaking region in the Americas. In 1549, Spanish explorers and settlers came across a fertile valley in the present-day state of Coahuila where they encountered native vines and founded the Mission of “Holy Mary of the Vines.”
In 1597, the Hacienda de San Lorenzo was established by the Spanish settler Don Lorenzo García, where he founded, along with other Spanish missionaries, Casa Madero the oldest winery house in the Americas. Several Mexican wines have achieved important international recognitions and received medals for their outstanding quality.
6. New Zealand’s Emerging Wine Industry
New Zealand viticulture was started in a small way by Croatian immigrants at the end of the 19th century, but it was not until the 1970s that it really got going. Various grapes were tried in the early years, but it was in the 1980s that New Zealand developed the pungent style of Sauvignon Blanc that became her trademark. Since then, the Burgundy grapes of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have been developed in cooler, more southerly vineyards, with considerable success.
7. South Africa’s Wine Renaissance
The end of apartheid sparked a wave of investment and innovation in the vineyards of the Cape. There are large areas of undistinguished grape varieties that can produce world-class wines. South Africa is second home to many known wines.
8. United States’ Wine Industry
Although wine is made throughout the United States, 90 percent of it comes from California. Earliest grape vines were imported from New Spain, or Mexico, which in turn were brought by Spanish explorers and settlers.
Prohibition had a devastating effect on commercial winemaking in United States, which only started to recover in the late 1960s and 1970s. In the years after Prohibition, the domestic market demand changed. Interest in traditional European varieties increased, leading to the innovations that triumphed so spectacularly in Paris in 1976.
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Distinctive Characteristics of New World Wines
1. Style
Since new world vineyards are generally in hotter climates than those of Northern Europe, New World grapes tend to be riper. Thus, new world wines tend to be correspondingly more alcoholic and full-bodied.
2. Varietal Labeling
Traditionally, new world wine used names of well-known European regions, such as Burgundy, Champagne, Sherry, Port, and Hock. This gave consumers a general idea of how the wine might taste. This changed as winemakers developed the confidence to develop their own styles of wine, such as Grange.
One reason was that unlike Europe, there was no history of particular localities being associated with particular styles of wine, and winemakers might buy in grapes from many sources.
Subsequently, new world winemakers have ‘rediscovered’ the art of blending wines. New world viticulturists now better understood the soils and climates of their vineyards; terroir has come to the New World.
3. Marketing
Being less dependent on geography, new world wines have placed more emphasis on branding as a marketing tool. With supermarkets selling an increasing proportion of wine in many markets, new world producers are better positioned to take advantage of this trend towards high volumes and low margins.
4. Ownership
The greater size of new world wine companies has made them attractive targets for multinational drinks companies seeking to exploit the trend towards drinking wine rather than beer or spirits.
Old World Winemaking Countries and Philosophies
Old world wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking, such as North Africa and the Near East. The phrase is often used in contrast to “new world wine,” which refers primarily to wines from new world wine regions such as the United States, Australia, South America, and South Africa.
The term “old world wine” does not refer to a homogeneous style, with “old world wine regions” each making vastly different styles of wine even within their own borders. Rather, the term is used to describe general differences in viticulture and winemaking philosophies between the old world regions where tradition and the role of terroir lead versus the new world where science and the role of the winemaker are more often emphasized.
In recent times, the globalization of wine and advent of flying winemakers have lessened the distinction between the two terms with winemakers in one region being able to produce wines that can display the traits of the other region i.e., an “old world style” wine being produced in a new world wine region like California or Chile and vice versa.
The two most guiding influences of old world style winemaking are that of tradition and terroir. The former refers to the long history of a wine region, while the latter refers to geography and the unique characteristics of a place. Some of the old world wine-producing countries include: Austria, France, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Slovakia, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Turkey, Czech Republic, Portugal, Switzerland, England.
Key Differences Between Old World and New World Wines
| Aspect | Old World Wine | New World Wine |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Wines come from the “classic winemaking regions” in Europe. | Wines come from everywhere else. |
| History | Wine has been made in Europe and along the Mediterranean for several millennia. | Started producing wine in the 15th, 16th, or 17th centuries, following European exploration or colonization. |
| Pricing | Attracts higher prices. | Wines are often cheaper. |
| Style | Old world wines are traditionally more ‘terroir’ and structure-driven. | Wines are typically more ‘fruity,’ modern, squeaky clean, fruit-forward, and in general more varietal-driven. |
| Philosophy | Winemaking philosophies emanated from a sense of place and the primordial role ascribed to terroir as well as ‘mother-nature’ in determining wine quality. | Placed less sanctity on the pre-eminence of ‘terroir,’ and more on the preservation of varietal fruit character, believing that the appropriate harnessing of scientific and technological best practices in the vineyard and in the winery could iron out any terroir imperfections. |
| Quality | Tend to retain a more obvious minerality or savoriness, no matter how ‘fruity’ they become. Wines typically have lower alcoholic content. | Wines retain their more forward fruit, no matter how strongly they portray their sense of ‘place.’ Wines are typically of higher alcoholic content. |
| Regulation | Has to adhere to a detailed set of rules that govern what can be planted, density of planting, training and pruning methods, minimum ripeness at harvest, maximum yields, winemaking techniques, and use of oak. | Very few restrictions exist, and winemakers are free to plant whatever grape varieties they wish and make the wine however they deem appropriate. |
| Today, the dividing line is more blurred, as new world wine producers discover terroir and old world producers discover ‘fruit,’ adopting many of the technological advances developed in the new world. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Major Wine-Producing Countries
- What distinguishes old world wine regions from new world wine regions?
Old world wine regions, primarily in Europe (e.g., France, Italy, Germany, Spain), date back to the Roman Empire and emphasize tradition and terroir. New world wine regions (e.g., Australia, United States, Argentina, Chile) rely more on technology and scientific practices, with less historical terroir knowledge. - Which countries are considered major new world wine producers?
Major new world wine producers include Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. - What is the significance of Malbec in Argentina’s wine industry?
Malbec is the most successful grape variety in Argentina’s export markets, favored for its compatibility with the country’s famous steaks, while Torrontés is notable for producing aromatic white wines. - How has Australia’s winemaking evolved over time?
Australian winemaking began with vine cuttings from South Africa, gaining recognition by the 1880s for winning prizes in Europe. Today, it is among the most sophisticated, producing some of the finest fortified wines in the new world, despite earlier criticism for over-oaked and over-ripe flavors. - What makes Canada’s ice wines unique?
Canada’s ice wines, made from grapes like Riesling, Vidal, and Cabernet Franc, are a specialty due to the country’s cold climate, particularly in Southern Ontario and the Okanagan Valley, where grapes are harvested frozen to concentrate sugars and flavors. - Why is Chile notable in global wine production?
Chile, the 10th largest wine producer, is notable for its phylloxera-free vineyards and significant investments in wineries and vineyards since the 1980s, with exports growing substantially since the mid-1990s. - What role does terroir play in old world winemaking?
Terroir, encompassing geography and unique place characteristics, is a guiding influence in old world winemaking, alongside tradition, shaping the minerality, savoriness, and structure of wines from regions like France, Italy, and Spain. - How do new world wines differ in style and regulation from old world wines?
New world wines are typically fruitier, more alcoholic, and varietal-driven, with fewer regulatory restrictions on grape varieties, planting, and winemaking techniques. Old world wines are terroir-driven, with lower alcohol content and strict regulations governing production.
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